Sedum plant named ‘Birthday Party’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Sedum  plant substantially as shown and described, with deep red purple flowers in a large inflorescence, cut and dark leaf margins, new leaves that are glossy, yellow green tinted red brown with red margins, strongly upright stems, and a low, clumping habit.

Botanical denomination: Sedum sp.

Variety designation: ‘Birthday Party’.

Parentage: Sedum telephium dark leaf×Sedum spectabile ‘Neon’.

Cross reference: Sedum ‘Beach Party’, applied for in copending U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/930,866.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedumand given the cultivar name of ‘Birthday Party’. Sedum is in the familyCrassulaceae. Sedum ‘Birthday Party’ originated from a cross between anunnamed, proprietary, and unpatented dark leaf Sedum telephium as theseed parent and Sedum spectabile ‘Neon’, unpatented, as the pollenparent.

Compared to the dark leaf Sedum telephium seed parent, the new cultivaris has much greener foliage and much larger inflorescences with darkerflower color.

Compared to the pollen parent, Sedum spectabile ‘Neon’, the new cultivarhas leaves that are glossier and tinted red brown on the margins ratherthan being glaucous and evenly yellow green.

Compared to Sedum ‘Class Act’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,125), the newvariety is shorter with leaves that are darker and more cut on themargins. The flowers of the new variety are smaller in denser flatterinflorescences. The flowers of the new variety are a brighter redpurple.

Compared to Sedum ‘Mr. Goodbud’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,671), the newvariety is shorter with leaves that are darker and more cut on themargins. The flowers of the new variety are much darker.

Compared to Sedum ‘Beach Party’, a sibling applied for in copending U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/930,866, the new variety has muchdarker flower color.

This new and unique Sedum is distinguished by:

-   -   1. medium deep red purple flowers in large inflorescences,    -   2. cut and dark leaf margins,    -   3. new leaves that are glossy, yellow green tinted red brown        with red margins,    -   4. strongly upright stems, and    -   5. a low, clumping habit.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 2 year old Sedum ‘Birthday Party’ growing in a 2 galloncontainer outside in May in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a 1 year old Sedum ‘Birthday Party’ growing in the trialfield in September in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Sedum hybrid based onobservations of two year old specimens grown in a garden in full sununder typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on theUSDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. inAugust to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—13 cm tall from the ground to the base of the            inflorescence and 44 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Erect, clumping.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.-   Stem:    -   -   Number.—About 11.        -   Size.—13 cm long and 10 mm wide.        -   Internode length.—1 to 3 cm long.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 145A heavily tinted Greyed Purple 187B            to Greyed Purple 187A at the base.        -   Texture.—Succulent.        -   Surface.—Glabrous and glossy.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Elliptic to slightly obovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Margins.—Irregularly deeply serrate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 10.5 cm long and 5.8 cm wide.        -   Surface.—Glabrous, glossy when young on both sides.        -   Texture.—Thick, spongy, succulent.        -   Petiole.—Leaves sessile.        -   Leaf color.—Topside Green 137B edged and tinted with Greyed            Purple 187A with the vein Yellow Green 147C; bottom side            Green 147B edged and lightly tinted Greyed Purple 187A with            the vein Yellow Green 147C.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, corymbose, umbel-like.        -   Number of flowers.—Over 1000 per stem (increases with age).        -   Pedicels.—1 to 3 mm long, 1 mm wide, glaucous, Brown N200C.        -   Peduncle.—17 cm tall and 4 to 6 mm wide, Greyed Green 193A            tinged with Greyed Purple 187A, succulent, glabrous.        -   Size.—14 to 20 cm long and 14 to 20 cm wide.        -   Bloom period.—August through September in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2 mm wide, 5 mm deep.        -   Description.—Ovoid.        -   Color.—White 155A tinted Greyed Purple 187A darkening to            Greyed Purple 187B at the tip.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Complete, actinomorphic.        -   Shape.—Stellate.        -   Size.—6 mm deep and 12 mm wide.        -   Color.—Red Purple 64A.        -   Corolla description.—12 mm wide and 5 mm deep, 5 petals,            each lanceolate, 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, margins entire,            tip acuminate, glabrous on both sides, topside Red Purple            64A, bottom side Greyed Purple 186D.        -   Calyx description.—2.5 mm deep and 2.5 mm wide, campanulate,            5 lobes, divided to the base, margins entire, tip acute,            glabrous, Greyed Orange 177B on both sides.        -   Stamen description.—10 in number, 4 mm long, filaments 3 mm            long, Red Purple 64A, anthers Greyed Purple N186A, no            pollen, male sterile.        -   Pistil description.—5 separate prominent carpels, each 6 mm            deep and 1.5 mm wide, Red Purple 64A, style 2 mm long,            Purple 77A, stigma rounded, Purple 77A.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—Each stem lasts up to a month.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Ventrally dehiscent follicle, erect, attenuate.        -   Fertility.—None.        -   Color.—Greyed Purple 187A at top and gray tan at bottom,            Grey 200B.-   Seed: No seed produced.-   Disease and pest resistance or tolerance: Pest and disease    resistance are typical for this type of Sedum.

1. A new and distinct hybrid of Sedum plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.